Apparatus for treating gases or vapors with liquids.



APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1909 Patented May 26, 1914.

IGNACY MOSCICKI, 0F FBEIBURG, SWITZERLAND.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING GASES OR VAPORS WITH LIQUIDS Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 152' i Application filed April 27, 1909. Serial No. 492,544.

To all whom it may com-rm Be it known that I, IGNAUY Mosciciu, citizen of Switzerland, residing at Freiburg, in Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treating Gases or Vapors with Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of and apparatus [or treatinp gases or vapors with liquids, for such Plllll(l t*S as to absorb gases or vapors.

The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus of such eoi'istru tion that in a eoinparativelv small space sutliciently large surfaces are' obtained to efl'ect the desired interchangeable action between the gas or vapor and the liquid. To this end I use a filling material con'q'iosed of particles being of much smaller size'than those of. the filling materials used hereto-fore for similar pu poses.

Tests have shown that with the use of a filling material, whose particles are of a size of only a few millimeters in diameter, the height of the individual layers Can be relnced to 30 centimeters and less, without hereby impairing the completeness of the desired action. If layers ota greater height are used, the gas, which is passed through the moistened layers must flow with an increased velocity, in which case particles of the liquid that has been used for moistening the layers are carried a *ay with the gas in the shape of a fine mist. Where, on the other hand, a filling material of large proportions is used, theapparatus must be made of correspondingly large din'iensions, to offer sufficiently large surfaces to effect; the interchangeable action referred to. In that way, of course, the expense in the construction of the apparatus and the space required for it are greatly increased. Moreover, in using layers of filling material of such large size, it is dillicnlt to thoroughly and uniformly moisten the layers and a grrat deal of liquid is used.

In using a filling, material onnniised of iarticles of small size, l am enabled to build up layers, which will oc upy but little space and yet a'l'loi d a sufficiently large surface to produce the desired action between the gas and the vapor and the liqnid, and besides, the lay rs can. be uniformly moistened. The layers being of small height, the apparatus can be made of small proportions, requiring little space and small expense.

extends nearly to the bottom ol the apparatus 31 and into the cylinder, in the center thereof, extends a tube 1, which passes through the perforated bottom plate 3?. of the cylinder 32 and serves as a conduit for the gas, or vapor, to be passed through the filling material 18, which lills the entire h llow cylinder 32. linmedial'elv on the perforated bottom plate 37 oi the cylinder are supported balls made of clay, of successively smaller diam ter. which on in shall prevent the lllliIlfJf material from falling: through the openings of the perforated bottom plate 37. At; its upper c id the. cylinder 32 is closed by a screen plate 3 .1, the rim of which plate is solid and forms a closure for the cvlindufal space between the cylinder 32 and the shell of the. app-a atus ill. The plate 36 is provided with a central opening for the passage of the tube 33, which is als held at its upper end by the lid 35 ot the. apparatus. The lid is provided with inlet passages 34 .for the liquid which is used t moisten the filling material in the hollow cylinder. The tube 33 provided inside. the cylinder 32 with a great number oi line openings 40, through which the has or vapor, entering' the tube passes into the illin; material 38. Likewise, the cylinder 51-,

is provided in its wall with a plurality of line bores 35), through which the o:-

va -or, not retained by the liquid, pagg pg out into the cylindrical space (it). The lmcez I?!) in the wall of the cyl nder converge in the direction of the arr w all, whereas the bores ll) in the tube Zlil are arranged i'liver;rint;v 'l his arrangen'ient has for its pnrp to conduct the gas, or vapor, horironlal thr ugh the layer of filling material, through which the liquid supplied through the pas sages 34 in the, lid 35 flows in a vertical downward path. The gas which is not ab sorbed by the liquid and passes thronsrh the bores 39 into the space 50 pas es until the outlet opening 41. a r *ane'ial at hethe apparatus, Any liquid that 2,

ho-,0?) i on; er

into the tub 33 through the bores l 1 t -'nfi;q or into the space 50 through the ll('?t. 1.35 w;

let)

ios

the cylinder wall runs down in said tube or on the outside of the cylinder and gathers with the other liquid passing through the filling material in the lower part of the apparatus. The cylinder 32 and the tube 33 are provided with recesses 42 at their bottom ends, through which recesses a communication is established between the spaces inelosed by the tube 33, the cylinder 32 and the shell of the apparatus 31, which latter is provided near its bottom with a discharge passage 43, through which the liquid can escape to be discharged or returned to the top of the apparatus. The level of the liquid gathering at the bottom of the apparatus must always be above the upper edges of the recesses 42 to prevent an escape of the gas, or vapor, at the bottom of tube 33, into the space 50. For the same reason, the bores 39 and 40, provided in cylinder 32 and the tube 33 respectively begin above the top layer of the clay balls provided at the bottom of cylinder 32, since the said balls have no sufficient resistance to prevent an escape of the gas, or vapor.

My new apparatus can be used in all cases, in which a liquid shall be brought in intimate contact, with gases or vapors, as for in stance tor the purpose. of absorption of gases or vapors by the liquids or for the purpose of drying gases or vapors by moistening the filling material with concentrated sulfuric acid or for the purpose of the oxida tion of liquids by gases or vapors.

The apparatus, as has already been stated above, is used for absorbing gases or vapors by liquids. As a specific example, it may be stated that applicants apparatus, may be used, for instance, for absorbing nitrous gases by water. \Vhen air is treated with, or subjected to, an electric are, a mixture is obtained containing mostly air, which has re mained unchanged. but containing also a small percentage of oxids of nitrogen. This mixture is passed through the apparatus, while, at the same time. the layers of the filling material are periodically moistened with water, which results in the production of nitrous acid and nitric acid. The former will afterward again decoi'npose, while the nitri' acid in solution in the water can be withdrawn for further treatment.

I claim 1. An apparatus for absorbing gases or vapors by liquids, con'iprising three concentric cylindrical chamber? the inner and intermediatechambers inclosing a granular, non-almorbiog filling material and both pro vidcd with perforations inclined toward the filling n'iaterial, mean in the cover of the outer chamber for pouring a liquid over the filling material, means at the bottom of said outer chamber for collecting the liquid en riehed by the gases or vapors. and dischar ing the concentrated liquid, the inner chamher being constructed as a tube projecting through the cover of the. outer chamber and adapted to conduct the gases or vapors to be absorbed into the apparatus for the purpose of causing them to be brought in intimate contact with the liquid in the fillin material, and an exhaust in the wall of the outer chamber for the rest of the gases or vapors.

2. An ipparat'us for absorbing gases or vapors by liquids, comprising three concentric cylindrical chambers, the inner and intermediate chambers inclosing a granular, non-absorbing filling material and both provided with perforations inclined toward the filling material, means in the cover of the outer chamber for pouring a liquid over the filling material, means at the bottom of said outer chamber for collecting the liquid en riched by the gases or vapors, and dischargingthe concentrated liquid, the inner chamber being constructed as a tube projecting through the cover of the outer chamber and adapted to conduct the gases or vapors to be absorbed into the apparatus for the purpose of causing them to be brought in intimate contactwith the liquid in the filling material, and an exhaust in the wall of the outer chamber for the rest of the gases or vapors, a perforated plate spaced from the bottom of the outer chamber and adapted to support the filling material, and a second perforated plate covering the filling material and tightly surrounding the tubular inner chamber, the rim of said second plate between the intermediate and outer chamber being imperfor'ate and forming a gas-tight cover for the cylindrical space between the said intermediate and outer chambers, the exhaust for the rest of the gases being located beneath the last mentioned perforated plate.

3. An apparatus for absorbing gases or vapors by liquids, comprising three concentrio cylindrical chambers, the inner and intermediate chambers inclosing a granular, non-absorbing filling material and both provided with perforations inclined toward the filling material, means in the cover of the outer chamber for pouring a liquid over the filling material, means at the bottom of said outer chamber for collecting the liquid enriched by the gases or vapors, and discharging the concentrated liquid, the inner chamber being constructed as a tube projecting through the cover of the outer chamber and adapted to conduct the gases or vapors to be absorbed into the apparatus for the purpose of causing them to be brought in intimate contact with the liquid in the filling material, and an exhaust in the wall of the outer chamber for the rest of the gases'or vapors, a perforated plate spaced from the bottom of the outer chamber and adapted to support the filling material, and a second perforated plate covering the filling material and tightly surrounding the tubular inner chamber, the rim of said second plate between the intermediate and outer chamber being imperforate and forming a gas-tight cover for the cylindrical space between the said intermediate and outer chambers, the inclined perforations in the walls of the inner and lntermediate chambers terminating Jo at such a distance from the said first mentioned perforated plate above the same and the perforations in the wall of the tubular 

